List of emballonurids

Emballonuridae is one of the twenty families of bats in the mammalian order Chiroptera and part of the microbat suborder. Members of this family are called emballonurids, and include sheath-tailed bats, sac-winged bats, and tomb bats. They are found in all continents except Europe and Antarctica, primarily in forests and caves, though some species can also be found in shrublands, savannas, rocky areas, or deserts. They range in size from the Amazonian sac-winged bat, at 3 cm (1 in) plus a 1 cm (0.4 in) tail, to the Pel's pouched bat, at 14 cm (6 in) plus a 4 cm (2 in) tail. Like all bats, emballonurids are capable of true and sustained flight, and have forearm lengths ranging from 3 cm (1 in) to 10 cm (4 in). They are all insectivorous and eat a variety of insects and spiders, and occasionally fruit. Almost no emballonurids have population estimates, though three species—the Pacific sheath-tailed bat, Antioquian sac-winged bat, and Hildegarde's tomb bat—are categorized as endangered species, and one species—the Seychelles sheath-tailed bat—is categorized as critically endangered with a population as low as 50.

The 54 extant species of Emballonuridae are divided between two subfamilies: Emballonurinae and Taphozoinae. Emballonurinae contains 36 species in 12 genera, and Taphozoinae contains 18 species in 2 genera. A few extinct prehistoric emballonurid species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed.

Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the emballonurid's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted. Population figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.

The family Emballonuridae consists of two subfamilies: Emballonurinae, containing 36 species divided into 12 genera, and Taphozoinae, which contains 18 species in 2 genera.

Family Emballonuridae

• Subfamily Emballonurinae
  • Genus Balantiopteryx (sac-winged bats): three species
  • Genus Centronycteris (shaggy bats): two species
  • Genus Coleura (sheath-tailed bats): three species
  • Genus Cormura (chestnut sac-winged bat): one species
  • Genus Cyttarops (short-eared bat): one species
  • Genus Diclidurus (ghost bats): four species
  • Genus Emballonura (sheath-tailed bats): eight species
  • Genus Mosia (dark sheath-tailed bat): one species
  • Genus Paremballonura (false sheath-tailed bats): two species
  • Genus Peropteryx (dog-like bats): five species
  • Genus Rhynchonycteris (proboscis bat): one species
  • Genus Saccopteryx (sac-winged bats): five species
• Subfamily Taphozoinae
  • Genus Saccolaimus (pouched bats): four species
  • Genus Taphozous (tomb bats): fourteen species

The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN and the American Society of Mammalogists.